PRE-SCHOOL (4-5 YEARS OLD)

In our Pre-School program, we focus on hands-on learning through play, fostering a love for education from the very beginning. Our nurturing environment encourages children to see school as a safe space for exploration and growth, where mistakes are celebrated alongside successes.

With experienced teachers and dedicated Teaching Assistants, we provide personalized attention to each child, allowing them to progress at their own pace. Our Pre-School class is situated in a separate building on our campus, providing a cozy and secure environment.

We make the most of our beautiful grounds, engaging in outdoor activities and organized excursions that enrich learning experiences and broaden horizons.

Join us at River House Academy, where every moment is an opportunity for discovery and development.

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Expressive Arts and Design
• Physical Development
• Understanding the World

These Learning Intentions are based on the UK’s Early Years framework and we consider all the above when planning and implementing lessons for our youngest learners. 

All these intentions are met by incorporating thoughtful, guided elements to the play and exploration of our pre-schoolers.

• Who We Are
• Where We Are In Place And Time
• How We Express Ourselves
• How The World Works
• How We Organise Ourselves
• Sharing The Planet

As part of these themes, children study units tailored to the specific needs of any given cohort and the context through which these concepts are investigated depends on the interests of the children. In this way, children become active collaborators in their learning journeys, enabling them to access their personal educational gateways. They explore these ideas through hands-on activities, play and self-directed exploration.

Pre-school is a time and place not only to learn but to laugh and have fun!

Building upon the foundation of excellence established in our Pre-School, our Primary curriculum further ignites the passion for learning, preparing children with the skills and perspectives to excel academically and beyond.

We meticulously select elements from diverse international curricula to tailor a program that meets the unique needs of our learners. Our holistic approach integrates core subjects with enriching activities such as yoga, sports, arts, and more, fostering a well-rounded education.

Afternoons are dedicated to an array of dynamic sessions, providing opportunities for collaboration with peers of all ages and exposure to various instructors. Through engaging local excursions and immersive trips, students discover the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of Goa, expanding their horizons and enriching their learning experience.

Starting from Year 3 (ages 7/8), our students eagerly anticipate fully supervised annual overnight trips, creating cherished memories and valuable experiences.

At River House Academy, we're committed to nurturing curious minds and cultivating a lifelong love for learning.

Our English Curriculum is based on the Cambridge Primary framework. To prepare our students for higher level study and to prepare them to sit IGCSEs at the end of Key Stage 4, we fully implement the standards set out by this framework. 

To ensure that we best serve our pupils who join us from an array of school systems from around the world and to honour the different cultural heritages, we supplement the Cambridge Primary curriculum with a range of global resources. In this way, we maintain an engaging, appropriate, and flexible English curriculum tailored to our students’ needs.

English is at the same time for all Primary classes which allows for flexibility in moving students between classes depending on their needs.

The Maths teaching at River House Academy is rooted in the Bridges in Mathematics curriculum. The focus of our primary Maths teaching is to develop number sense in our students who are encouraged to develop a range of strategies to solve problems, using different visual models. Teaching towards number sense enables students to make connections to real world contexts and apply their understanding to a wide range of problems. 

They become problem solvers rather than calculators. And, like English, Maths is at the same time for all Primary classes which allows for flexibility in moving students between classes depending on their needs.

Humanities teaching at River House is concept-based and takes its structure from the IB Primary Years Programme and the Cambridge Global Perspectives curriculum. Students’ interests are at the heart of this approach, as is an awareness and appreciation of Current Affairs and the world around us. Throughout the year, classes choose how to investigate a range of concepts and enquiries through different contexts and from different viewpoints. The focus on conceptual learning rather than the accumulation of facts fosters lifelong investigative skills that can be transferred to different contexts. 

The Science curriculum is based on the Cambridge Primary framework and standards. However, we put a strong emphasis on hands-on enquiry-based learning. Through this approach, a wide range of skills are learned and applied in context. Students work towards understanding the concepts that underpin scientific knowledge and how to apply these to novel situations. We supplement the Cambridge Primary framework with resources from the Nuffield Foundation and other STEM focused curricula.

Every morning starts with a short Class Time session which is used to establish social bonds and create a positive class culture. There is a strong emphasis on acquiring social and emotional competencies throughout the school and a PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum is interwoven with all subject areas. We also have Sex and Relationship lessons starting in the Pre-School. These are age-appropriate lessons that enable children to make positive choices about their bodies and relationships. 

• Food and nutrition
• Gardening
• Physical Education
• Humanities
• Music
• Drama
• Dance
• Creative arts and crafts
• Technology
• Media Studies
• Personal Social Health and Careers Education

River House Secondary School offers a dynamic and balanced curriculum, empowering students to explore their unique educational pathways and reach their full potential. Beginning in Class 7, students follow the directed path of the Cambridge programmes, tailored to our values of Live: Love: Learn.

Our curriculum emphasizes mastery of academic subjects while nurturing essential soft skills and fostering academic enquiry. We prioritize deep-subject knowledge alongside the development of higher-order skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, ensuring a holistic and future-ready education.

In addition to academic subjects, our co-curricular activities encompass sports, music, arts, humanities, and technology, enriching the student experience.

Through Personal Project sessions, students engage in self-directed learning, exploring topics of personal interest with real-world relevance. Mentored throughout the process, students develop research, planning, and critical thinking skills, preparing them for success in further education and adulthood.

At River House Secondary, students embody the attributes of the Cambridge Learner Profile, fostering confidence, responsibility, reflection, innovation, and engagement within a global community of learners.

In Class 11, students sit externally assessed IGCSE exams, providing globally recognized qualifications accepted by universities and employers worldwide, ensuring a bright and promising future for every student.

We have designed our course to allow students to take either English as a First Language IGCSE or English as a Second Language IGCSE depending on circumstance.

The course enables learners to:

• develop the ability to communicate clearly, accurately and effectively when speaking and writing
• use a wide range of vocabulary, and the correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
• develop a personal style and awareness of the audience being addressed

Learners are also encouraged to read widely, both for their own enjoyment and to further their awareness of the ways in which English can be used. The Cambridge curriculum also develops general analytical and communicative skills such as inference and prediction, the ability to order facts and present opinions effectively.

The study of English offers students the opportunity to respond to a rich array of reading texts during the course. Students use these texts to inform and inspire their own writing, using a range of genres for different purposes and audiences. Students develop skills in speaking, listening, delivering presentations and responding to questions. 

Prowess in English encourages appreciative and critical readers, writers, speakers and listeners.

Our aims are to enable students to: 

• read a wide range of texts, fluently and with good understanding, while enjoying and appreciating a variety of language 
• read critically and use knowledge gained from their reading to inform and improve their own writing 
• write accurately and effectively, using Standard English appropriately 
• work with information and with ideas in language by developing skills of evaluation, analysis, use and inference 
• listen to, understand and use spoken language effectively
• acquire and apply a wide vocabulary alongside knowledge and understanding of grammatical terminology and linguistic conventions

We organise the Cambridge Secondary Mathematics curriculum in six content areas or ‘strands’:

• Number
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Measure
• Handling data
• Problem solving

The first five content areas are underpinned by the sixth: problem solving, which provides a structure for applying mathematical skills. Mental strategies are also a key part of the Number content. This curriculum framework focuses on principles, patterns, systems, functions and relationships so that learners can apply their mathematical knowledge and develop a holistic understanding of the subject. 

The Cambridge Lower Secondary Mathematics curriculum framework provides a solid foundation for Cambridge IGCSE.

An essential subject for all learners, Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics encourages the development of mathematical knowledge as a key life skill, and as a strong basis for more advanced study. The syllabus aims to build learners’ confidence by helping them develop competency and fluency with mathematical concepts, methods and skills, as well as a feel for numbers, patterns and relationships. The syllabus also places a strong emphasis on solving problems and presenting and interpreting results. Learners also gain an understanding of how to communicate and reason using mathematical concepts. 

Humanities teaching at River House is concept-based and takes its structure from the IB Primary Years Programme and the Cambridge Global Perspectives curriculum. Students’ interests are at the heart of this approach, as is an awareness and appreciation of Current Affairs and the world around us. Throughout the year, classes choose how to investigate a range of concepts and enquiries through different contexts and from different viewpoints. The focus on conceptual learning rather than the accumulation of facts fosters lifelong investigative skills that can be transferred to different contexts. 

The Science curriculum is based on the Cambridge Primary framework and standards. However, we put a strong emphasis on hands-on enquiry-based learning. Through this approach, a wide range of skills are learned and applied in context. Students work towards understanding the concepts that underpin scientific knowledge and how to apply these to novel situations. We supplement the Cambridge Primary framework with resources from the Nuffield Foundation and other STEM focused curricula.

Every morning starts with a short Class Time session which is used to establish social bonds and create a positive class culture. There is a strong emphasis on acquiring social and emotional competencies throughout the school and a PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum is interwoven with all subject areas. We also have Sex and Relationship lessons starting in the Pre-School. These are age-appropriate lessons that enable children to make positive choices about their bodies and relationships. 

Every morning starts with a short Class Time session which is used to establish social bonds and create a positive class culture. There is a strong emphasis on acquiring social and emotional competencies throughout the school and a PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum is interwoven with all subject areas. We also have Sex and Relationship lessons starting in the Pre-School. These are age-appropriate lessons that enable children to make positive choices about their bodies and relationships. 

Every morning starts with a short Class Time session which is used to establish social bonds and create a positive class culture. There is a strong emphasis on acquiring social and emotional competencies throughout the school and a PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum is interwoven with all subject areas. We also have Sex and Relationship lessons starting in the Pre-School. These are age-appropriate lessons that enable children to make positive choices about their bodies and relationships. 

• Food and nutrition
• Gardening
• Physical Education
• Humanities
• Music
• Drama
• Dance
• Creative arts and crafts
• Technology
• Media Studies
• Personal Social Health and Careers Education